The present application relates generally to interconnect structures, and more specifically to barrier layers for advanced interconnects and their methods of production.
As technology nodes advance in semiconductor devices, resistor-capacitor (RC) delay is a major factor in determining the performance of ultra large scale integrated (ULSI) circuits. The use of copper in integrated circuits reduces line resistance, but an efficient barrier layer is needed to prevent unwanted copper diffusion and oxygen/moisture penetration. Further, in order to improve the switching performance of future circuit designs, low dielectric constant insulators are needed.